Dual-function tea tray

ABSTRACT

A dual-function tea tray includes an open-topped outer case and at least one movable door. The movable door is provided with drain holes and is detachably connected to the outer case to open or close the open top thereof. The tea tray is adapted to horizontally position on a tabletop with the movable door facing upward and closing the outer case, so that tea things for making tea may be laid on the door and overflowed water brewing tea as well as any tea grounds may be drained into the outer case via the drain holes on the door. The outer case is also adapted to stand upright to serve as a simple cupboard for accommodating tea things therein behind the door when the tea things are not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a tea tray, and more particularly to a dual-function tea tray that may be horizontally positioned to serve as a general tea tray on which teacups are disposed for making tea or vertically positioned to serve as a simple cupboard for storing tea things therein when they are not in use.

[0002] It has been a popular activity among most Chinese to brewing tea and drinking tea. The way for Chinese to make tea also attracts many foreigners. In addition to the types of tea leaf and the skills of brewing teas, tea things also play an important role in making tasty and fragrant tea. Tea things usually include a tea tray of a suitable size, a teapot, and a number of teacups. For conveniently making tea in a room, a big-size tea tray is usually used to carry the teapot and teacups thereon and to contain overflowed and useless water during brewing tea. Such big-size tea tray is usually in the form of an open-topped basin and includes a perforated cover detachably disposed on the open top of the basin. Teacups and other tea things are positioned on the perforated cover when making tea. Any overflowed or useless water is drained into the basin via perforations on the cover. When the tea things and the tea tray are not in use, the tea tray with useless water is emptied and cleaned, and the cleaned tea things are again disposed on the perforated cover. Such big-size tea tray occupies a considerable space, and tea things positioned thereon are exposed to air without being suitably protected against collision that will result in breaking and other damages of the tea things, particularly teacups made of porcelain and other fragile materials.

[0003] The following are drawbacks existing in the conventional big-size tea tray:

[0004] 1. The big-size tea tray occupies a considerable space and tea things positioned thereon inevitably produce a disordered view to adversely affect an interior of a room.

[0005] 2. The conventional tea tray has only one usage, namely, carrying teacups and containing overflowed and useless water during making tea. The tea tray has not the function of protecting tea things against undesirable collision, breaking and other damages.

[0006] It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved dual-function tea tray to eliminate drawbacks existing in the conventional tea trays.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a dual-function tea tray that may be horizontally positioned to serve as a general tea tray on which teacups are disposed for making tea or vertically positioned to serve as a simple cupboard for orderly and neatly storing tea things therein when they are not in use.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual-function tea tray that includes movable doors detachably connected to an open-topped case, so that the tea tray could be easily disassembled for cleaning purpose.

[0009] To achieve the above and other objects, the tea tray of the present invention mainly an open-topped outer case and at least one movable door. The movable door is provided with drain holes and is detachably connected to the outer case to open or close the open top thereof. The tea tray is adapted to horizontally position on a tabletop with the movable door facing upward and closing the outer case, so that tea things for making tea may be laid on the door and any overflowed and useless water during brewing tea as well as any tea grounds may be drained into the outer case via the drain holes on the door. The outer case is also adapted to stand upright to serve as a simple cupboard for accommodating tea things therein behind the door when the tea things are not in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0011]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a dual-function tea tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the dual-function tea tray of FIG. 1 in a horizontal position with two movable doors thereof in an opened state;

[0013]FIG. 3 shows the dual-function tea tray of FIG. 2 in an upright position to serve as a cupboard, wherein two movable doors thereof are in the opened state;

[0014]FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of a dual-function tea tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention with two movable doors thereof in an opened state; and

[0015]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a dual-function tea tray having a sliding door according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Please refer to FIG. 1 that is an exploded perspective view of a dual-function tea tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the tea tray mainly includes an outer case 1, two movable doors 2, two shafts 3, and an inner case 4.

[0017] The outer case 1 is an open-topped rectangular case and includes two elongated hollow pipes 11 separately provided at central portions of one pair of two opposite top edges thereof, preferably the pair of two shorter edges thereof.

[0018] The movable doors 2 are two symmetrical rectangular panels having a length equal to that of the outer case 1 and a width equal to one half of that of the outer case 1. Each door 2 is provided at one lateral side facing away from the other door 2 with two short hollow pipes 21 that are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. A plurality of drain holes 22 are provided on the doors 2 at predetermined positions.

[0019] The two shafts 3 are long bars having a round cross section and a length equal to that of the outer case 1.

[0020] The inner case 4 is an open-topped case having outer dimensions slightly smaller than inner dimensions of the outer case 1, such that the inner case 4 is adapted to fitly position in the outer case 1 without becoming loosely movable in the outer case 1. The inner case 4 has a height that allows four top edges of the inner case 4 positioned in the outer case 1 to flush with four top edges of the outer case 1. Partitions 41 may be provided in the inner case 4 to divide an inner space defined by the inner case 4 into two or more separated compartments. A hand hole 42 is provided near a top of each partition 41 at a suitable position thereof. In the case the outer case 1 is made of a wooden material, the inner case 4 is preferably made of a plastic material to effectively prevent any liquid from penetrating into the wooden outer case 1 and damaging the same.

[0021] Please refer to FIG. 2 that is an assembled perspective view of the dual-function tea tray of FIG. 1. As shown, each door 2 is pivotally connected to one side of the outer case 1 by positioning the two short hollow pipes 21 at two sides of the long hollow pipe 11 to align them with one another, and then extending one of the two shafts 3 through the aligned short and long hollow pipes 21, 11, such that the doors 2 could be freely turned open to show an internal space of the outer case 1 or turned close to cover a top of the outer case 1. The inner case 4 is fitly positioned in the outer case 1. The hand holes 42 provided on the partitions 41 in the inner case 4 facilitate easy removal and positioning of the inner case 4 from and into the outer case 1. The partitions 41 also serve to bear a downward pressure from the movable doors 2 closed onto the top of the outer case 1. The shafts 3 maybe easily removed from the short and the long hollow pipes 21, 11 in order to separate the doors 2 from the outer case 1 for cleaning purpose.

[0022] Please refer to FIG. 3. The dual-function tea tray shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may also serve as a simple cupboard by positioning the whole tea tray uprightly with one of two opposite walls of the outer case 1 that do not have the doors 2 connected thereto serving as a bottom of the cupboard. In this case, tea things may be stored in compartments in the inner case 4 defined by the partitions 41 when they are not in use. The two doors 2 may be freely opened or closed to remove or position tea things from or into the simple cupboard formed from the upright outer and inner cases 1, 4. Through proper designing of the cases 1, 4 and the doors 2, the simple cupboard formed therefrom allows neat and orderly storage of the tea things therein and may have a beautiful appearance matching with other interior decorations in a room at where the tea tray is used.

[0023] To make tea, simply open the two doors 2 to remove tea things from the upright cupboard, and then allow the cupboard to lie horizontally on a tabletop with the two movable doors 2 facing upward and in the closed position. Teacups may be positioned on the closed doors 2 when pouring hot water into the cups. Overflowed water or tea grounds are drained via the drain holes 22 on the doors 2 into the inner case 4. The inner case 4 and the partitions 41 could be washed clean later.

[0024]FIG. 4 shows another dual-function tea tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the tea tray includes only an outer case 1 made of a plastic material and the inner case 4 in the first embodiment is omitted in this second embodiment. The partitions 41 in the first embodiment are directly mounted in the outer case 1 to divide an internal space of the outer case 1 into two or more separated compartments. As in the first embodiment, the tea tray of this second embodiment has two movable doors 2 pivotally connected to the outer case 1 by extending two long shafts 3 through aligned short and long hollow pipes 21, 11 provided on the doors 2 and the outer case 1, respectively. The use of the tea tray of this second embodiment is similar to that of the tea tray in the first embodiment.

[0025]FIG. 5 shows a dual-function tea tray according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this third embodiment, the tea tray includes an outer case 1 provided in an internal space thereof with partitions 41, as in the case of the second embodiment, and a sliding door 2 that is supposed to have an ability of bearing an increased downward pressure applied on the door 2 by a weight of tea things positioned thereon. In this case, the outer case 1 is provided at top portions of two opposite walls, preferable the two longer walls of the outer case 1, with two sliding rails 12, so that two edges of the sliding door 2 corresponding to the two sliding rails 12 slidably move in the rails 12, enabling the door 2 to close or open a top of the outer case 1.

[0026] The following are some of the advantages of the tea tray of the present invention over the conventional tea trays:

[0027] 1. The tea tray also serves as a simple cupboard to accommodate tea things when they are not in use, so that a surrounding space in a room is not adversely affected due to tea things disorderly positioned on the tea tray and exposed to the air.

[0028] 2. Tea things stored in the simple cupboard formed from the tea tray are well protected against undesired collision, breaking and other damages. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A dual-function tea tray, comprising an open-topped outer case and at least one movable door, said movable door being provided with drain holes and detachably connected to said outer case to open or close an open top of said outer case; said outer case being adapted to horizontally position on, for example, a tabletop with said at least one door facing upward and closing the open top of said outer case, so that tea things for making tea may be laid on said door and overflowed water for brewing tea as well as tea grounds may be drained into said outer case via said drain holes on said door; and said outer case also being adapted to stand upright to serve as a simple cupboard for accommodating tea things therein behind said doors when said tea things are not in use.
 2. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer case is provided therein with partitions to divide an internal space of said outer case into two or more separated compartments.
 3. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an inner case being dimensioned for fitly positioning in said outer case.
 4. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein said inner case is provided therein with partitions to divide an internal space of said inner case into two or more separated compartments.
 5. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 4, wherein said partitions are provided at predetermined positions with hand holes to facilitate easy removal or positioning of said inner case from or into said outer case.
 6. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer case is provided at top edges of two opposite walls thereof with two hollow long pipes, and wherein there are two said movable doors, each of which is provided at one side facing away from the other said door with two spaced and hollow short pipes; whereby each of said two movable doors is pivotally connected to said outer case by locating said two spaced and hollow short pipes of said door at two sides of said hollow long pipe of said outer case and aligning them with one another, and then extending a long shaft through said aligned short and long pipes.
 7. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein said outer case is provided at top edges of two opposite walls thereof with two hollow long pipes, and wherein there are two said movable doors, each of which is provided at one side facing away from the other said door with two spaced and hollow short pipes; whereby each of said two movable doors is pivotally connected to said outer case by locating said two spaced and hollow short pipes of said door at two sides of said hollow long pipe of said outer case and aligning them with one another, and then extending a long shaft through said aligned short and long pipes.
 8. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer case is provided at top edges of two opposite walls thereof with two sliding rails, and wherein said at least one movable door is guided by said sliding rails to slide on the open top of said outer case to open or close the top of said outer case.
 9. A dual-function tea tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein said outer case is provided at top edges of two opposite walls thereof with two sliding rails, and wherein said at least one movable door is guided by said sliding rails to slide on the open top of said outer case to open or close the top of said outer case. 